Questions on OT laws

[ccmnxc]

I know that there are different laws in the Old Testament that are classified into the following categories:

1. Liturgical/Ceremonial
2. Civil
3. Moral
   I was wonder how both we and Biblical scholars distinguish between each. For example, how can we tell whether the law on not wearing mixed fibers was a civil or liturgical law? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[PeterK]

Well first, you need to determine if the tripartite categorization that the OT laws are being subjected to were understood that way by the authors. The Anchor Bible Commentaries are very good at providing summaries of scholarly opinion on particular things as they plod through the text. While I have enjoyed them, they are not devotional or pastoral in intent. The series benefits from a scholarly editorial attitude which holds that the historical critical approach has run its course with few textural solutions to its credit. This is actually refreshing. It is also surprising how often this series attributes authorship to the named titled author of the book as opposed to some redactor. Their mantra, in the old testament editions anyway, is that if there is not compelling textural evidence to the contrary, then primary author of the biblical book probably was who it says it was.

Oh well enough commentary about my favorite commentary. Can’t say I’ve read the commentary covering that particular verse, which is from Leviticus right?

Respectfully,
Peterk

 

[Fidelis]

This might help on the weaving of fibers question:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatnez

Generally speaking, we can only know which of those categories a certain law falls under by determining the following things about it, in this order:

1. What Scripture itself says about it.
2. What later, extra-biblical, tradition says about it.
3. Whether there is some other practical reason for it.
4. Whether there it might be a reaction against what the surrounding pagan tribes are doing.
5. Whether there is some other general existing religious, sexual, or community taboo against it.

To determine these, especially the last three, historians, anthropologists, etc., look at evidence from that time, including possible evidence from pagan cultures from around the same time. For example: the prohibition against tattooing may have come about about because it is well know that pagan cultures around the same time as the Israelites tattooed their bodies for religious reasons connected to some cult or another. God wanted to make sure the Israelites did not imitate them in this practice.

 

[Dave_Noonan]

I know that there are different laws in the Old Testament that are classified into the following categories:

1. Liturgical/Ceremonial
2. Civil
3. Moral
   I was wonder how both we and Biblical scholars distinguish between each. For example, how can we tell whether the law on not wearing mixed fibers was a civil or liturgical law? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

These are categories created by theologians–I don’t think biblical scholars would hold to them or say that that the ancient Israelites thought about their laws in this way.